The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-02
THE IRON STEAMSHIP READING.
A Chat with the Mate on the Coal
Producing Regions and the Present
Outlook

Outlook.
The iron steamship Reading, of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railroad line, arrived
with 1868 tons of coal yesterday morning for
Randall, McAllister & Co., of this city. The
vessel made the voyage from Philadelphia
to this port, against strong head winds, in
IS hours. The average time is 6S hours. The
vessel was built in 1874 and is one of a feet
OF eleven steamers now owned and run by
the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad line.
1t requires twenty tons of coal per day to
run the vessel which is commanded by Capt.
Thomas Smith, a Long Island man She
carries crew of IS men and is loaded at
Philadelphia in nine hours.
"Will the price of coal go up" asked a
PREssr eporter of the mate of the Reading {?
Goal is very scarce and in my opinion it
will go up 30 to 40 cents within month. At
Salem, where this company own coal sheds,
week ago they had orders for $4,000 tons
and the coal pockets were empty. They
have not yet filled the orders. Then there
is Newburyport, New Bedford, Portsmouth
and other cities to which our steamers carry
coal and all have to be supplied. The Phila-
delphia and Reading Company mine their
own coal you know"
what about the miners strike in the Le-
high Valley region?"
"At present there are 1900 men out 3d.
600 struck in the first place and of these 10,
600 moved away and $4,000, who were in the
region owned by our company, went to work
again on compromise. The present 49,
600 strikers are in the Leghigh region"
when Will these men get to work again p"
They will probably go back the first Of
the year If not sooner. They think that if
they can hold out until then the company
which owns that great coal producing region
will come to some terms that will be salts
factory to the men,"
Do you think that the men have been un-
justly treated?
well, to tell the truth do. You see it is
this way. That region is owned by very
wealthy men. They own the homes in
which the miners live, they own the stores
iron which the miners are compelled to buy
their groceries. and first and last they get
back about all the money paid by them for
| mining labor. For instance, | knew a man
who worked nine days for $13 and when he
came to settle with his landlord he hadn't
enough money by six cents to pay him. If a
miner has money enough to buy lot of land
and house the company wont sell it to
him F.; they want to let their own houses, and
as they own the property all around they
can do as they like with it. Moreover a
miner most live where the landlord wishes
him TO regardless of the condition Iof the
house or his own choice. The landlords
don't treat the men in square way"
For what can you buy coal in Philadel-
| phia at retailp"
"Well sir just bought ton of coal fol
my own private use and 1t cost me Sc. The
demand for coal is at present great and we
cannot fill the orders nearly as fast as they
come. in. Why, were n hours loading
| this time, where we, if we could have had
| plenty Of coal, it would have taken but nine
| hours. Coal won't be any cheaper this win.
| ter"
The mate swung himself to the wharf and
the PRESS reporter walked aft to chat with
| the engineer.